The basketball legend is turning his enormous height into an unlikely game-show challenge, with eight contestants competing to conceal him from unsuspecting members of the public.
Shaquille O’Neal is preparing to test whether anyone can make one of basketball’s most recognisable figures disappear by challenging contestants to hide his towering 7ft 1in frame in public for a new television game show.
The former NBA superstar, 54, will appear in Can You Hide…Shaq?, a reality competition launching on ABC in December, with comedian Nicole Byer, 40, hosting the series.
Announced by the network, the programme will follow eight contestants attempting to conceal Shaquille in plain sight during challenges on the streets of Dallas, Texas, with prize money awarded through a series of team missions.
Shaquille said in a statement to Variety: “I’m 7-foot-1. I’m not exactly easy to miss.”
He continued: “I love meeting people wherever I go, but for years I’ve always wondered, could somebody actually make me disappear? Well, we finally decided to put it to the test. We turned it into a real competition, and I can’t wait for you to see the creative, ridiculous ways they tried to hide me in plain sight.”
The four-time NBA champion, who has become a television personality since retiring from professional basketball, said the unusual format would combine elaborate disguises with a competitive prize.
He added: “The stakes are high, and so is the prize. But you know me, we’re gonna have some fun along the way.”
The series will begin with eight contestants divided into two teams, each tasked with hiding Shaquille while completing challenges against the clock.
According to the programme’s official description, the teams will compete to keep the former basketball player out of sight for as long as possible while carrying out missions in public locations.
The show’s synopsis states: “In the fast, funny, and unpredictable challenges, contestants first split into two teams, each with a set mission and time clock.”
It continues: “The team that completes its mission with the fewest spottings earns immunity for one team member in the next round, who then becomes team captain. The teams must work together toward one greater mission: earning prize money to add to the ‘Shaq-pot’ that will ultimately be claimed by one winner.”
The competition will take place across different locations in Dallas, where the contestants must find ways of disguising or concealing a man who stands considerably taller than most members of the public.
Nicole, best known for hosting Netflix’s baking competition Nailed It!, will oversee the challenges and guide viewers through the contestants’ attempts to keep Shaquille hidden.
The comedian has also appeared in the sketch series A Black Lady Sketch Show and hosted the Netflix competition alongside French pastry chef Jacques Torres, 66.
The premise of Can You Hide…Shaq? draws on a photograph that became an Internet sensation a decade ago, when Shaquille was pictured attempting to conceal himself from photographers behind a small tree in Beverly Hills.
The 2016 photograph showed the basketball star standing behind the tree despite his enormous frame remaining clearly visible.
The image subsequently circulated widely online, becoming one of several viral moments involving the former Los Angeles Lakers centre.
Shaquille established himself as one of the NBA’s most dominant players during a career that included spells with the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
He won three consecutive NBA championships with the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant, who died aged 41 in 2020, before securing a fourth title with Miami in 2006.
The former player was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016 and has remained a prominent figure in basketball broadcasting.
He is particularly associated with Inside the NBA, the long-running basketball discussion programme on which he appears alongside Charles Barkley, 63, Kenny Smith, 61, and presenter Ernie Johnson, 70.
The programme moved into a new era of distribution through ESPN and ABC following changes to the NBA’s American television rights, while retaining its established presenting team.
Shaquille has also appeared in films including Blue Chips, Kazaam and Grown Ups 2, alongside numerous commercials and television appearances.
He has pursued a music career under the name DJ Diesel, performing at festivals and other live events while continuing his work as a sports broadcaster.
ABC has announced that Can You Hide…Shaq? will make its debut in December, although the precise premiere date was not included in the announcement.
The network has not disclosed the total prize money available to the winner of the competition.
Shaquille O’Neal challenges contestants to ‘make me disappear’ in bizarre new TV show
